COMMUNITY workers in Blackpool are hoping to harvest support for a City Farm where youngsters can help raise crops, animals - and their own self-esteem.

Mereside youth and community worker, Wendy Green-Wheeler, organised the first meeting yesterday for people interested in helping to run a City Farm on a voluntary basis.

"We came up with the idea after getting involved with the Easterleigh animal sanctuary at St Annes, helping them to get some projects off the ground," she explained.

"We thought it would be a good idea to have a farm where local youngsters could get involved with raising animals and horticulture.

"We found that some of the younger children thought that eggs and milk simply came from Tesco - they hadn't made the connection with hens and cows - so a City Farm would be educational as well as enjoyable and it would give older children a sense of fulfilment in having a part in it."

The group is seeking funding from grant-giving organisations such as the National Lottery, and will be searching for a site anywhere in the Blackpool area with land suitable for hooved animals, said Ms Green-Wheeler.

"We have been to visit a city farm in Liverpool which has been going about 20 years and now stretches to 22 acres with paid workers, so that just shows what can be achieved," she said.

The group hopes to hold an evening meeting to gather more support in the near future.

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